Scaffold brackets



April 7, 1959 D, F, DAKlN 2,880,954

I SCAFFOLD BRACKETS Filed June 26. 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 &

INVENTOR. fl 6 mm flaw/1v arm/awn United States Patent SCAFFOLD BRACKETSD. Frank Dakin, Mount Kisco, N.Y.

Application June 26, 1957, Serial No. 668,240

3 Claims. (Cl. 248-238) This invention relates to brackets for use withladders in construction and repair work and particularly to bracketsdesigned for attachment to ladders for supporting scaiiold planks.

Scaffolds are commonly supported on ladders disposed in slanted positionand when so disposed the bracket must be so designed as to hold thescafiold horizontal.

However, if the ladder is supported in vertical position, as by hooks orsupporting rods connected to the cornice or roof, room is providedbetween the ladder and building wall for the scaffold bracket, or thescaffold bracket can be secured outside of the ladder instead of betweenthe ladder and the wall, provided the ladder is properly and firmly heldin position.

This invention has for its salient object to provide a scaffold bracketand means for connecting the bracket to a ladder, so designed that thesame bracket and same ladder clamps or connection can be used whetherthe ladder is disposed in vertical or slanted position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a scaffold bracket that isso constructed that it can be made from standard tubular members or pipeand a bracket that is simple and practical in construction and can beeconomically manufactured and fabricated.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the followingspecification taken in connection with the drawings which form a part ofthis application, and in which- Fig. 1 is an elevational view showingthe bracket secured to a ladder disposed in slanted position;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken substantially on line 22 of Fig.1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken substantially on line 33 of Fig.1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the manner of connecting the outer ends ofthe bracket members to washers which are mounted on a verticalsupporting member or pipe section;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional elevation on the outer ends of the upperand lower bracket members showing the manner in which these members aremounted on the pipe at the outer ends thereof;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the bracket and ladder shown in Fig. 1 butshowing the bracket without the scaffold planks mounted thereon;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 but showing the scaffold planks inposition; and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the upperbracket member with the clamp for securing the member to the ladder in areverse position from that shown in Fig. l and secured to a verticalladder instead of to a slanted ladder.

In the particular-embodiment of the invention illustrated, the laddershown in Fig. land in Figs. 6 and 7 is mounted in slanted position, theupper end of the ladder being supported in any suitable manner, asagainst the wall of a building. The ladder has upright rails 10 and 11and cross rungs 13.

The bracket comprises a pair of upper pipe sections or members 14 and 15and a pair of lower pipe sections or members 16 and 17. The members 14and 16 and 15 and 17 are connected together by struts or bracing members19 and 20.

At their front ends the members 14 and 15 are secured to washers 25 and26 and the lower members 16 and 17 are also secured at their front endsto washers 27 and 28. These washers are pivotally mounted on a verticaltubular member or pipe 30 and are secured in position by nuts 31, 32, 33and 34 which are threaded on the threaded outer surface of the pipe 30.

The rear ends of the pipes 14 and 15 are threaded internally, as shownat 35, and into these threaded ends are, adjustably mounted angular orhook-shaped members 36, 36. In Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive, the downwardlyextending portions of the members 36 have mounted thereon clamps orconnecting members which connect the upper ends of the bracket to theladder. Each of these clamps or connecting members comprises a bar 40having a loop-shaped portion 41 which is mounted on the downwardlyextending portion 42 of the hook-shaped member 36. The rearwardlyextending bar 40 has secured thereto a bar 45 which has formed on therear end thereof a channel-shaped portion 46 adapted to embrace the rearportion of the ladder rail 10. A nut 43 is mounted on the end of portion42 of member 36.

The bar 40 has formed therein grooves 47 and 48 and correspondinggrooves are formed in the bar 45. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the channelportion 46 embraces the rear portion of the ladder rail 10 and the rung13 of the ladder engages the grooves on the under surfaces of the bars40 and 45.

The lower bracket members or pipes 16 and 17 are correspondinglythreaded at their rear ends, as shown in Fig. 3, and hook-shaped members50, similar to the members 36, are adjustably mounted in the threadedinner surfaces 51 of the members 16 and 17.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the bar 45 is reversed from the positionshown in Fig. 2 and the channel portion 46 embraces the front of theladder rail 10 or 11, as the case may be.

From the foregoing description it will be noted that the scafloldbracket, when mounted as shown in Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive, will be firmlysupported on the slanted ladder and that the pipes or bracket members 14and 15 are disposed in horizontal position so as to form a firm supportfor the scaffold planks P.

As shown in Fig. 5, an upright member or pipe 55 is mounted in thetubular member 30 and extends upwardly therefrom. On the upper end ofthe pipe 55 there is shown a loop or support 56 for supporting a guardrail 57. There is also shown opposite the guard rail support 56, a rightangle supporting member 58 in which the guard rail may be supported, ifdesired.

As hereinbefore stated, it is sometimes desirable to support the ladderin vertical position, in which case the upper end of the ladder will beconnected by hooks, rods or other desirable connecting means to the roofor cornice or other part of the building on which the scafiold is to beused. In order to mount the bracket in such a manner that the scaffoldwill be supported in horizontal position, the hook members 36 and 50 areinverted so that the ends of the hook-shaped members 36 and 50 whichextend downwardly in Fig. 1 will extend upwardly, as shown in Fig. 8.When this has been done, the clamp portion 46 of the bracket at the topof the scaffold supporting bracket will be reversed from the positionshown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 2 and will thus embracethe back of the ladder rail. Also, the clamps on the bracket members 14and 15 which are now disposed at the bottom of the bracket will bereversed Patented Apr. 7, 1959 3 sa as-to. engagertlzie frontof theladder rail instead of the back of the ladder rail.

From the foregoing description it will be clear that the same clampingbrackets are used to secure the scaffold bracket? to the ladde-r whetherthe clamping rnemberernbracesthe rear edge of theladdenrail or the frontedge thereofr This is'made possible bypivoting the=ba1s-40 and 45 on-acentral pin or: bolt 60. Nonpositive resilient holding means may beprovided to hold the bars intheir adjusted positions or,-- if desired,-the pivotal member: 60- maybe threaded and have a nut to tightenthemembers in adjusted position. Furthermore, by proper adjustment andproperly positioning the scaffold bracket, the same scaffold bracket andsame ladder connecting means can be used to support-a scaffold on aslanting ladder'ora vertical ladder.

If desired; when the bracket is to be-used with a vertical ladder,instead of: inverting the hooked members'36 as shownin Fig. 8, thebracket itself can be inverted from the position shown in Fig. 1 and theclamps can be placed above the rungs.

Although one specific embodiment of the, invention has been particularlyshown and described, it will be understoodthatthe invention is capableof modification and that changes in the construction and in thearrangement of thevarious cooperating parts may be made withoutdepartingfrom the spirit or scope of the invention, as expressed in thefollowing claims.

What I claim is:

1. A scaffold supporting bracket for use on ladders comprising apairofframe members converging from their rear ends toward their frontends and at their front-ends being connected to a common upright post,each frame member comprising an upper member and a lower member andstruts rigidly connectingsaid upper and lower members, the lower memberbeing inclined upwardly toward the upper member from the rear to thefront ends of the members with the front ends of all four members invertical alinement for the mounting of a post, the rear ends of theframe members being spaced apart,-and clamps comprisingladderrailembracing por- All tions secured to the rear ends of the upper andlower members of the frame members.

2. A scaffold supporting bracket for use on ladders comprising a pair offrame members converging from their rear ends toward their front endsand at their front ends being pivotally connected to a common uprightpost, each frame member comprising an upper member and a lower memberand struts rigidly connecting said upper and lower members, the lowermember being inclined upwardly toward the upper member from the rear tothe front ends of the members with the front ends of all four members invertical alinement for the mounting of a post, the rear endsof the framemembers being spaced apart, and'clamps comprising ladder rail embracingportions secured to the rear ends of the upper and lower members of theframe members.

3. A scaffold supporting bracket for use on ladders comprising a pair offrame members converging from their rear ends toward their front endsand at their front ends being connected toa common upright post, eachframe-member comprising an upper member and a lower member and strutsrigidly connecting said upper and lower members, the lower member beinginclined upwardly toward the upper member from the rear to the frontends of the members with the front ends of all four members'in verticalalinement for the mounting of a post, the rear ends of the frame membersbeing spaced apart, and clamps comprising ladder rail embracing portionssecured to the rear ends of the upper and lower members of thefrarnemembers, said embracing portions of the clamps being reversible toembrace the back or front of the ladder rails;

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS199,167 Robinson Jan. 15, 1878 689,390 Ewing Dec. 24, 1901 1,714,028Knuth May 21, 1929 1,906,275 Kramer May 2, 1933 2,535,291 Jagiel Dec.26, 1950 2,587,587 Bellezza Mar. 4, 1952

